Indian batting crumbles at Eden

Set a tricky 124 to win, hosts are routed for 93, losing the Ist Test by 30 runs on Day 3

- Somshuvra Laha

India have been beaten at their own game. Again. This time against the world Test champions, in a manner not so different from the embarrassment meted out at home by New Zealand last year.

There was no magical resurfacing of Shubman Gill, meaning India had to chase 124 on a tricky surface with effectively four specialist batters. Add the cover of three allrounders in Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and it becomes even more difficult to justify this capitulation. Failing to chase 147 at Wankhede last year, and now this — these can't be coincidences. The inexperience is palpable, but how about showing some accountability, if not some heart?

Temba Bavuma did so for over two hours while most of the South Africa batters were bent on shooting themselves in the foot. Starting the day with a lead of 63 and just three wickets in hand, Bavuma found his back to the wall.

Corbin Bosch however displayed a match-altering tenacity, scoring 25, adding 44 runs with his skipper and slowly taking the game away from India’s grip.

Pulling Jasprit Bumrah out of the attack after just four overs wasn’t probably a good idea. He conceded only 10, but more importantly had just got rid of Bosch, undoing his defence with a ball that nipped back from length to crash into his stumps.

But Pant gave him only one more over before going to spin from both ends.